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Research evidence and policymakers: the role of explicit and tacit knowledge sources in parliamentary scrutiny
- Supervisor: Dr Chris Tyler
- Award Start Date: September 2021
- Duration of Award: 4 years
- Closing Date: 7 June 2021
- Amount: £18,053
In the UK Parliament, two bodies – the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and the House of Commons Library – create briefings of research evidence on selected topics for use in the House of Commons. Once published, it is currently uncertain how such briefings are used to inform debate and scrutiny; this is true both in general (Kenny et al 2017a, Akerlof et al 2019, Rose et al 2020, Akerlof et al 2020) and with regard to different kinds of research evidence (natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, art and humanities).
The aim of this project is to trace how research evidence and knowledge reaches policymakers. This will include tracking the influence of explicit knowledge sources, such as those produced by POST and the House of Commons Library, on parliamentary debate and scrutiny. Sophisticated neuro-linguistic programming and related text-mining techniques could be used to analyse Hansard and complemented by a programme of stakeholder interviews to check the validity of this approach and uncover other modalities of influence of research evidence. The above may subsequently feed into an analysis of the impact of interpersonal networks of researchers and policymakers on knowledge diffusion in relation to research evidence.
The studentship is a collaboration between UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy and the International Center for the Study of Research (ICSR). ICSR is part of Elsevier, a global research information analytics company in which students may take opportunities to work alongside our colleagues in one of our offices, gain exposure to different departments, gain access to data and analytical support, and present their work through internal webinars and events.
How to apply
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to arrange an informal discussion with Dr Chris Tyler and Professor Joanna Chataway prior to application.
Applicants should submit their applications via the UCL application portal. You will need to provide a research proposal (2 page maximum) and details for 2 referees. You will also have the option of uploading a CV and a personal statement.
Questions about the studentship can be made to Dr Chris Tyler (cptyler@ucl.ac.uk) and Professor Joanna Chataway (joanna.chataway@ucl.ac.uk).
Using cutting edge methods to map the dynamics and impact of research
- Supervisor: Professor Geoff Mulgan
- Award Start Date: September 2021
- Duration of Award: 4 years
- Closing Date: 7 June 2021
- Amount: £18,053
Bibliometrics, web-scraping, semantic analysis and other datasets and tools make it possible for us to track how knowledge spreads. The speed in which new knowledge is spread and used varies between fields, as does the rapidity and level of feedback between users of knowledge and its producers. Often, when knowledge is spread at a faster speed, it is done so with the help of intermediary organisations.
The aim of this project is to develop new tools to map the total impacts of research and compare how its use and spread varies between different fields such as medicine, architecture/construction and public policy. This will include developing a rigorous framework for conducting economic impact assessments at the level of research-producing organisations (e.g. universities). Ideally, the framework can be used to capture different types of impact, including economic, social and environmental, in a way that allows evaluation and benchmarking between different institutions.
The studentship is a collaboration between UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy and the International Center for the Study of Research (ICSR). ICSR is part of Elsevier, a global research information analytics company in which students may take opportunities to work alongside our colleagues in one of our offices, gain exposure to different departments, gain access to data and analytical support, and present their work through internal webinars and events.
How to apply
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to arrange an informal discussion with Professor Geoff Mulgan prior to application.
Applicants should submit their applications via the UCL application portal. You will need to provide a research proposal (2 page maximum) and details for 2 referees. You will also have the option of uploading a CV and a personal statement.
Questions about the studentship can be made to Professor Geoff Mulgan (g.mulgan@ucl.ac.uk).
